Why Oakland Parents Are Flocking to a Chinese-Immersion School

Plus: Russia’s use of kamikaze drones; the Chinese tycoon beloved by Trumpists; and who Paul Newman wanted to be. View in browser | Update your preferences Tuesday, October 18, 2022 In today’s newsletter, Mandarin kindergarten for everyone, and then: • Russia’s use of kamikaze drones • The Chinese tycoon beloved by Trumpists • Who Paul Newman wanted to be Why Oakland Parents Are Flocking to a Chinese-Immersion School The success of Yu Ming Charter School shows how our usual ways of thinking about diversity and equity in American schools are becoming outmoded. Illustration by Anuj Shrestha “All you have to do for your kid to receive the best education in the Bay Area is put them in a classroom where their teachers will not speak English for most of the school day.” That’s what the columnist Jay Caspian Kang writes about the Yu Ming Charter School, a free K-8 Mandarin-immersion school in North Oakland that has attracted a diverse student body. For some parents, the school’s language program is the main source of its appeal. “China is a growing country, and maybe this will set her up for success,” one parent says, talking about her daughter, a first grader. But, for others, the Mandarin model is more of a quirk, secondary to the school’s high test scores and top ranking. Kang speaks to a variety of parents, and explores the idea that the families drawn to such a school represent a distinct cohort of Americans—one that blurs traditional ethnic and class distinctions—who are looking for a different kind of public education for their kids. —Ian Crouch, newsletter editor Read the story Support The New Yorker’s award-winning journalism. Subscribe today » From the News Desk Campaign Chronicles Can Organized Labor Win Back Wisconsin? The Senate race between Ron Johnson and Mandela Barnes is a battle between two visions of how jobs are made and kept. By Dan Kaufman Photo Booth Russia Bombards Kyiv with a Crude New Weapon Kamikaze drones struck the Ukrainian capital just after sunrise. By Luke Mogelson Our Columnists A Humiliating End to Trussonomics The British government’s dramatic U-turn shows how policy mistakes can be rapidly punished in times of global economic uncertainty. By John Cassidy Atlanta Postcard Rats in the Rat-Control Agency! The E.P.A., which is tasked with helping to control rodent populations, has been unable to move back into its Atlanta regional office, owing to a pesky infestation of rodents. By Charles Bethea Politics and More Podcast After Roe, a New Abortion Underground Stephania Taladrid reports on a network of volunteers distributing abortion medication—illegally and sometimes at great risk—to women in states that ban the procedure. Editor’s Pick A Reporter at Large How a Tycoon Linked to Chinese Intelligence Became a Darling of Trump Republicans From a sixty-eight-million-dollar penthouse in New York, Guo Wengui built a new life as a player in U.S. media and politics. What is he really after? By Evan Osnos Culture Dept. Books Who Paul Newman Was—and Who He Wanted to Be He thought his success was just a matter of hard work and good luck. Other people had a different perspective. By Louis Menand Under Review James Purdy Will Never Be Famous Again How a consummate outsider—who was queer, contrarian, and mistaken by some readers to be Black—briefly occupied the center of the literary scene. By Jon Michaud Fun & Games Dept. Name Drop Play Today’s Quiz Can you guess the notable person in six clues or fewer? By Liz Maynes-Aminzade Daily Shouts Reasons for Your Rent Increase Technology is being installed so that you can witness your packages being snatched in HD. By Talib Babb Crossword A Moderately Challenging Puzzle Initials of the author of “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”: three letters. By Anna Shechtman Daily Cartoon Tuesday, October 18th By John O'Brien P.S. In 1955, The New Yorker described Paul Newman, in his first movie role, merely as “a lad who resembles Marlon Brando”—adding that he “delivers his lines with the emotional fervor of a Putnam Division conductor announcing local stops.” The movie was the limp historical epic “The Silver Chalice”; the Putnam was a sleepy and fading train line that ran upstate from the Bronx. Even so, the magazine was nicer to the film than Newman himself would be: he later called it “the worst movie produced in the fifties.” Today’s newsletter was written by Ian Crouch. Thanks for reading. Let us know your thoughts about today’s edition. Plus, browse more newsletters and invite a friend to sign up for The Daily. You’re receiving this e-mail because you signed up for The Daily from The New Yorker. Manage your preferences | View our Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2022. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.